Chapter 117 You said if something happened to her, Lu…

Sheng Ruyue has been having a miserable time lately. When she first arrived in Shanghai, she saw a thug harassing a woman. She stood up for her and fought with him. The man took the opportunity to run away, but she was detained by the shop owner who wanted to compensate her for the losses.

She had run away from home and only had thirty silver dollars on her. After compensating for the losses, she only had ten dollars left, which wasn't even enough to buy a boat ticket. She had no choice but to stay in Shanghai temporarily to find a job and earn money to support herself.

She shared a small attic with others, living a meager existence. Since she lacked a diploma, she couldn't find a good job and could only do odd jobs for others.

Today she was selling cigarettes for her roommate. Business was best done at the entrance of Qianyue Building. She was quite fierce, so no one dared to bully her.

She was incredibly lucky to actually see this scoundrel. She managed to sneak in and finally caught him.

"You owe me money!"

If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have suffered so much. She should have left with her aunt long ago. It's all this man's fault that ruined her plans!

Thinking about it this way, she wished she could cut off a piece of his flesh.

Her words reminded Lu Chang that this was the crazy woman from the cake shop: "It's you!"

He looked Sheng Ruyue up and down, noting that she was dressed like a maid, and couldn't help but laugh.

"You're the one who smashed those things, so it's not wrong for them to ask you for compensation. I didn't smash anything, and I don't have any money!"

Sheng Ruyue was angered by him. She raised her fist, but when she noticed Shen Rong standing to the side, she lowered it in frustration.

That huffy look is actually quite cute.

Shen Rong patted Lu Chang: "You've really grown up, arguing with a girl like that."

Lu Chang protested, "Sister-in-law, how could she be a girl? She's more like a crazy girl. Look how strong she is." He was in pain all over, and there must be a lot of bruises all over his body.

Looking at the footprints on her clothes, Lu Chang laughed in exasperation and said to her, "How am I supposed to wear these clothes now that you've ruined them like this? They're much more expensive than your thirty silver dollars. You should pay for them."

Sheng Ruyue pursed her lips, a hint of panic in her eyes, and stubbornly said, "If you hadn't flirted with girls, I wouldn't have hit you, I wouldn't have lost all my money, I wouldn't have asked you for money, and I wouldn't have hit you. In the end, it's still your fault."

"It's all your fault. You have to pay me back. It's all because of you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been unable to afford a boat ticket, and I wouldn't have gotten separated from my aunt. It's all because of you. What am I going to do now?"

Sheng Ruyue became more and more aggrieved as she spoke, and then burst into tears.

Lu Chang was also somewhat stunned. Shen Rong quickly took out a handkerchief and handed it to him: "Girl, don't cry. We'll scold him for what he did wrong. Don't cry. I will definitely get justice for you."

Sheng Ruyue sniffed, feeling wronged: "It's all because of him that I've suffered so much."

She pouted and glared at Lu Chang: "I still have to dress like this to sell cigarettes. My dad will beat me to death if he finds out. I'm not even getting enough to eat. I want to eat meat. I don't want to live in that stuffy attic..."

The more she talked about it, the more miserable she felt. She had never experienced crying like this before, and she hugged Shen Rong and burst into tears.

Lu Chang stepped forward and pried her hand away: "Speak properly. Why are you pulling my sister-in-law to cry? My sister-in-law didn't do anything to you."

This crazy girl is strong and has some skills. What if she goes berserk and hurts her sister-in-law?

Even ten layers of skin wouldn't be enough for his older brother to peel off.

"It's just money, right? I'll give it to you!" Lu Chang said generously, reaching into his pocket but finding nothing after searching for a while.

Sheng Ruyue's eyes shifted from initial anticipation to suspicion, and now only held a cold, icy edge.

So he's a poor wretch!

Lu Chang looked at Shen Rong somewhat embarrassedly: "Sister-in-law, I was in a hurry to go out and I think I forgot my wallet."

Shen Rong opened her handbag. Luckily, she had brought some money with her today, just over thirty yuan, which she gave to Sheng Ruyue.

"Is that enough? Life out there is tough. If you have the money, buy a ticket and go home." Shen Rong could tell that this girl had run away from home.

Sheng Ruyue's initial ambitions were shattered by her unsuccessful attempt, and besides, without her aunt to meet her, she didn't know where to go.

She now had a very bad impression of Shencheng, and nodded: "Thank you, sister-in-law. I think you still need to discipline him strictly. If he doesn't listen, hang him up and beat him, so he won't go around harassing other respectable women." He could tell that this sister-in-law was a reasonable and kind person, and was secretly complaining about Lu Chang.

Shen Rong wanted to laugh, and nodded: "Okay."

Lu Chang's face turned pale: "You brat, I'll hang you up and beat you. I already told you I didn't harass anyone, it was normal social interaction, don't you understand? You country bumpkin, what do you know!"

Sheng Ruyue's eyes flashed with a fierce light, her fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and she stared intently at Lu Chang.

Lu Chang was startled by her and stepped back: "You fierce girl, all you do is use your fists."

Shen Rong glared at Lu Chang: "Who told you to have such a nasty mouth? It's better for a girl to be a little fierce, so she won't get bullied."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Ruyue immediately relaxed her guard, as if she had found a kindred spirit. It was the first time she had ever heard someone say that it was good for a girl to be a little fierce.

"I...I don't actually hit people very often."

Sheng Ruyue secretly glanced at Shen Rong and thought that this sister-in-law was gentle and beautiful. She felt a little jealous. That playboy actually had such a good sister-in-law. How wonderful it would be if she were her sister-in-law.

She glanced at Lu Chang, deciding to let him off the hook today and give her sister-in-law some face by not hitting him.

She glanced down at the money in her hand, counted out twenty, and returned the rest: "It's too much, I can't accept it."

"Take it. It's good to travel with caution, even if you're poor. Go home early and don't worry your family."

Sheng Ruyue lowered her head and rubbed her feet on the floor, muttering, "They won't worry about me at all."

She reached out and placed the money in Shen Rong's hand, then ran off quickly, saying, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but I'm only taking my money back."

Shen Rong shook her head. He ran really fast. She turned to look at Lu Chang's disheveled state and said, "Who did you flirt with? You got beaten up by that little girl."

Lu Chang patted the dust off his clothes, looking somewhat helpless: "It was that day when I was shopping and ran into Miss Xiangqin at the cake shop. I said a few words to her, and she rushed up to me like a hero, scaring our Xiaoming to tears. I didn't confront her because I don't like to argue with her."

Shen Rong mocked him, "Why didn't you say so just now?"

He clearly couldn't beat the girl, yet he had the nerve to say that.

Lu Chang stubbornly replied, "I'm a good man, I don't argue with women."

Shen Rong remembered why she had sought him out: "Oh right, that Xiangqin..."

"Mrs. Lu, Third Young Master." Xiangqin came out from the side door, somewhat surprised. "Are you looking for me?"

Shen Rong swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth, smiled, and her eyes involuntarily turned to her shoes.

Lu Chang walked over: "Where did you just go?"

He clearly saw her, but she disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving him to be pestered by a crazy girl.

Xiangqin looked at the marks on his clothes, somewhat taken aback: "I went out for some fresh air, what happened to you?"

Lu Chang's lips twitched twice: "I fell."

The three of them walked toward the banquet hall and ran into Lu Lin, who was looking for someone.

"It's getting late, shall we go back?"

Shen Rong glanced at his watch; it was almost ten o'clock. He nodded and said, "I'll go say hello to my sister-in-law."

Lu Lin stopped her: "No need, the young marshal is drunk, she's busy right now, I've already told her." He turned to look at Lu Chang, "Are you going back now or..."

Lu Chang raised his hand: "I'll be later."

Lu Lin nodded: "Don't stay up too late." His eyes swept over Xiangqin beside him.

Xiangqin seemed a little intimidated by him, and lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.

By the time I got home and lay down in bed, it was already past eleven o'clock, and Lu Chang still hadn't returned.

"Your brother won't not come back, will he?" Shen Rong looked up at him.

Lu Lin hugged her, buried his face in her head and took a breath. He wondered what kind of shampoo she was using, it smelled so good.

"He wouldn't dare!" Lu Lin said coldly.

No sooner had he finished speaking than he heard the sound of a car downstairs; the guy who had just arrived was back.

Shen Rong was about to go to the window to take a look when Lu Lin pressed her down, his eyes unfriendly: "How old is he? Does he need you to keep an eye on him?"

She really wanted to roll her eyes; how could she be jealous?

"I discovered something and wanted to remind him."

Lu Lin's expression softened: "What is it? Let me hear it first."

Shen Rong had originally planned to tell him anyway, so she told him all the doubts she had discovered that day.

“My third brother is familiar with her, and I want to ask him if Xiangqin really is the only one who owns those shoes.” She was also afraid of wrongly accusing someone.

Lu Lin simply said "Oh," seemingly unsurprised: "You're not mistaken about this matter; she does indeed have a connection with Uchida Eiko."

Shen Rong was shocked, not because he knew, but because he knew and yet allowed his younger brother to associate with someone else. Was he playing the long game, not afraid that Lu Chang, being love-struck, would reveal everything?

Lu Lin looked at her and thought she was really naive at times: "If he doesn't have any vigilance even after you've discovered everything, he might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes."

Shen Rong was stunned: "You mean, Lu Chang knows?"

Knowing that Xiangqin had ulterior motives for approaching him, he still fawned over her like a peacock; he was quite the actress.

Shen Rong shuddered; these two brothers were terrifying.

Was Lu Chang's infatuation genuine or feigned? Was the smile in his eyes when he looked at Xiangqin fake?

Can liking someone be acted out?

Shen Rong looked at Lu Lin suspiciously. Lu Lin knew exactly what she was thinking and reached out to cover her eyes.

"Don't overthink it, I won't."

Lu Chang's affection wasn't an act; "His affection is real, but..." It's just that neither of them is entirely sincere.

Shen Rong pulled his hand down and asked him, "When did you find out?"

Lu Lin put his hands behind his head and sighed, "Why does everyone think Lu Chang is a spoiled brat? Although I don't know what he's been up to lately, he's not that stupid. And... shouldn't I investigate those people who suddenly get close to my family?"

This Miss Xiangqin seems to have a clean background, but a closer look will always reveal some clues.

"Since you know she's Uchida Eiko's person, why did you still let her contact Lu Chang?" Shen Rong didn't understand why they would let it go.

“Once a piece has been exposed, it poses no threat.” Perhaps it can even be used to his advantage.

Lu Lin urged her to go to sleep: "If you can't sleep, we can do something else."

Shen Rong raised the blanket above her head, closed her eyes, and pretended to be dead: "I'm going to sleep."

***

There were many people at the dock, and many people came to see Cao Fengyi off. Her luggage had already been loaded onto the ship. Dou's two sons were in low spirits and clung tightly to Cao Fengyi's side.

No one would be happy to be sent abroad at such a young age.

"You may all go back," Cao Fengyi told the people who had come to see them off.

Shen Rong hugged her: "Send a telegram when you get there. I'll miss you."

Cao Fengyi nodded, glanced at Dou Wenliang not far away, and felt a little uneasy. She whispered to Shen Rong, "If anything happens to Wenliang, remember to send me a telegram."

Shen Rong turned to look at Dou Wenliang, looking somewhat embarrassed. Cao Fengyi chuckled, "I didn't ask you to keep an eye on his romantic affairs. I can't even control these things when I'm by his side, let alone when he's abroad."

She lowered her voice: "I won't lie to you, ever since we handed Bincheng over to the Japanese, he's been worried. I'm afraid he might do something risky. Have Lu Lin keep an eye on him and try to persuade him."

So that's what it was about. Shen Rong nodded, "I understand."

The cruise ship urged them to board, and Cao Fengyi held her son tightly as they headed for the ship.

Cao Fengyi was in first class, on the top deck. She waved to the people below, and soon the ship's horn sounded, black smoke billowed, and the cruise ship began to leave the dock.

Dou Wenliang walked over and asked Shen Rong if she needed him to take her home.

Shen Rong politely declined, saying, "It's a rare opportunity to come here. I'd like to wander around the neighborhood a bit before heading back."

Dou Wenliang nodded, but frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he added, "The docks are a mixed bag and not very safe. You should go back as soon as possible."

Shen Rong accepted the offer.

After Dou Wenliang left, she went to a nearby coffee shop to buy some coffee beans for Lu Chang, as he liked the coffee there.

Seeing that there was a Western-style cake shop nearby, I decided to buy some desserts to take back for my son.

Little did she know that a cold, sinister gaze was fixed on her from not far away.

"Miss Sachiko, do you know that woman?" the man asked.

Sachiko turned to look at the man, a malicious glint in her eyes: "This woman has ruined our plans. She's Lu Lin's wife. Do you think Lu Lin can remain calm if something happens to her?"

"Mr. Morita, this is a great opportunity to make a name for yourself."

The Japanese man named Morita hesitated, "We didn't receive any orders..."

Xingzi provoked him: "You don't dare? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The docks are in such chaos, who knows how she died? Lu Lin deeply loved this woman. If she dies, do you think Lu Lin will go crazy? When Shanghai is in chaos, won't that be our chance? This is the best way to destroy Lu Lin!"

Morita was persuaded by her. Wasn't his purpose in coming to Shanghai to help them deal with Lu Lin?

"I need to find a convenient place to start."

He wasn't sure if the woman had any guards with her; he only had one chance, and he had to strike decisively.

Sachiko revealed a smug, sinister smile: "Then we'd better hurry, that woman is about to come out."

This couple humiliated her and caused her to be looked down upon by the military. Despite her great achievements, she was still overshadowed by that woman Yingzi. She was not convinced!

The brighter Shen Rong's smile, the more irritating it became to her. She might as well just let her die. What did the big picture have to do with her? She just wanted this woman dead, to die!

She stared at Shen Rong's figure, which resembled a venomous snake, cold and chilling.